1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to holiday light storage apparatus and method for storing a holiday light string and more particularly to a storage device which includes adjustable, slide storage trays for receiving storage strings which have light bulbs that are spaced at different intervals.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objects
Holiday lights typically include a plurality of spaced apart light bulbs or lamps which are mounted in a lamp socket and are electrically coupled in circuit relation with a plurality of electrically conductive wires. Such light strings are typically distributed and sold, packaged in packaging systems or holders of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,200 issued to Chen-Hsien Huang on Oct. 20, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,534 issued to Wen T. Chwang on Jun. 23, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,999 issued to Kuo-Hsing K. Lee on Dec. 8, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,491 issued to Kuo-Hsing Lee on May 31, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,824 issued to Peter A. Brown on Oct. 17, 1995; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,070 issued to Gordon K. H. Wu on Jan. 28, 1997.
The above mentioned prior art patented storage devices, although apparently acceptable for packaging newly manufactured bulbs, are inadequate for storing used light strings. The prior art storage devices such as that illustrated in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,070 typically include a slit which must be spread apart in order to pass the base of the bulb which is brought to rest in an aperture communicating with the slot. The time consuming nature of this construction tends to detract from its use in storing light strings once removed from the receptacle.
More particularly, the prior art storage devices typically include a plurality of rows of light bulb holder bars including a plurality of adjacent slits communicating with apertures into which the bases of the light bulb sockets are disposed. These slits are typically very closely spaced and are not readily spreadable or accessible. Also, there are no provisions for adjusting the distances between the adjacent light to allow adequate storage for the spacing therebetween. Moreover, the prior art devices are not adjustable to accommodate light strings having lights spaced at different intervals. If the user merely deposits the strings into a box, they become entangled and are difficult to separate. The users will sometimes store the individual light sets in individual bags and dispose a plurality of bags in a storage box, or the like. When holiday light strings are stored in this fashion, the individual portions of the wires and lights of each string become intertwined thereby making it difficult to unwind them the following holiday season.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,339 issued to Alicia A. Dobson on Aug. 5, 1997 discloses a receptacle receiving a plurality of individual light support racks around which holiday lights are wrapped before being deposited into a storage container. This prior art device includes a plurality of individual parts which can easily separate and become lost. Also, this device does not have any features for adjusting to light strings having bulbs spaced at different intervals. Finally, this prior art device is rather bulky and does not compactly store the light strings in a stack. Accordingly, it is yet another object of the present invention to provide a universal light mounting apparatus which can be easily adjuster to accommodate light strings having bulbs spaced at different intervals.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel holiday light string storage device which will compactly store the string.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,075 issued to Robert M. Mechlin on Jun. 24, 1997 discloses a tubular storage rack having a plurality of slots therein which internally receive the light bulbs and the electrical conductor portions of the lights therebetween are disposed on the outside of the tubular rack. A user will sometimes test the bulbs inside a warm building while still on a rack rather than outside in the cold by plugging the power cord into an electrical receptacle. The user's ability to easily scan the string is inhibited with the Mechlin device because the bulbs are somewhat hidden. Moreover, if a bulb has to be replaced, it is not readily accessible without removal of the string from the rack. This latter mentioned prior art structure likewisely does not include apparatus which is adjustable to properly store light strings having lights which are spaced at various intervals and for storing the lights on the insides of the rack rather than the outsides of slotted storage rack. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and novel holiday light set storage apparatus and method for storing a holiday light string.
It is another object of the present invention to provide holiday light set storage apparatus including a pair of spaced apart storage racks on which successive portions of the light strings can be alternately wrapped.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide holiday light storage apparatus of the type described including storage trays which are adjustably mounted for movement relative to each other to accommodate light sets which have different distances between the adjacent light bulbs.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide holiday light storage apparatus of the type described which will mount the bulbs outwardly in stacked relation for easy inspection and replacement.
Another object of the present invention is to provide holiday light storage apparatus of the type described including a slotted storage tray which slidably receives the holiday light bulbs on the outside of the tray with the electrical conductors portions coupling adjacent light bulbs being received in the slots.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a light storage apparatus of the type described wherein the electrical conductors coupling adjacent light bulbs are disposed between the insides of elongate slotted racks and the light bulbs are disposed on the outer sides of the elongate racks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a light string storage apparatus of the type described which includes a storage member having a plurality of easily accessible upwardly opening slots into which the lights can be easily deposited and removed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and novel method for storing light strings having light bulbs which are spaced apart at differing distances.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel method for storing a holiday light string wherein the lights are stored on the outer sides of spaced apart elongate racks and the electrical conductor portions between adjacent lights bulbs are received in the slots and extend between the inner sides of the racks.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a new and novel method and apparatus for storing holiday light strings wherein a light string is mounted on adjacent, spaced apart elongated storage racks in a zig-zag fashion with successive adjacent portions of the light string being disposed on the outer sides of the elongate racks and the portions between the adjacent successive portions being disposed between the confronting inner sides of the racks.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide method and apparatus for storing and stacking a string of lights having a plurality of light bulbs coupled in circuit relation with electrical connections including sequentially mounting successive adjacent light bulbs in a zig-zag path alternately on the outer sides of the stacking members with the portion of the electrical connections between the successive adjacent light bulbs passing through the slots and thence extending between the confronting inner sides of the stacking members.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds.